As you almost certainly know if you are reading this, Rajon Rondo is a divisive figure in NBA circles. The media generally seems to regard him as moody and standoffish. His teammates — at least publicly — seem to appreciate his talent and competitive nature. Opponents are less fond of him. His fans defend him ardently. His detractors, well, detract equally ardently. It can make for a contentious debate.

Yesterday, Jeff Clark of Celtics Blog talked to ESPN's Jeff Goodman, who covers basketball at every level. He gave his thoughts on why he doesn't particularly like Rondo's game:

He frustrates me for a variety of reasons - he doesn't show much leadership ability, more often than not makes the flashy pass rather than the simple one, has not improved his perimeter shot - and doesn't appear to care about being a great teammate (as some of his former coaches will attest to off the record). [...] Would I want Rondo? Sure, but it also depends on the team that surrounds him. [...]

One instance I will give you is that when he tried out for the Olympic team a few years back, he didn't exactly make a positive impression and the staff basically sent him home. There are, of course, differing accounts of what happened - but my sources told me that the coaches wanted him gone.

The coach Goodman is likely referring to is Rondo's coach at Kentucky, Tubby Smith, one of just three coaches Rondo has had since high school. The other two, of course, were both in the NBA — Doc Rivers and Brad Stevens. Stevens isn't a former coach. Rivers, meanwhile, still gives Rondo advice, according to Rondo. It's entirely possible that Rondo was difficult to coach in college, but it appears as though he hasn't really clashed with coaches since Rivers — and likely the Celtics franchise overall — gained his respect.

Speaking without sources, I can only offer anecdotal evidence from what I've seen in the locker room, but my impressions of Rondo differ from that of Goodman's sources. He isn't particularly friendly to the media, at least on the record, but off the record he's not above cracking a joke, even at his own expense. Meanwhile, it wasn't uncommon to see Phil Pressey, Jerryd Bayless and Chris Babb gathered around Rondo's locker, chatting with him before and after a game. Perhaps Goodman's sources are right that players around the league don't like Rondo, but his teammates — again, solely from my anecdotal evidence — certainly seemed to.

Last season, Rondo's leadership was murky, in part because the team was bad and jockeying for lottery odds. This year, Rondo will have to connect with new, young teammates, which might paint a clearer picture of his leadership.

Goodman offered a much more positive view of the newest Celtics.

I really like Marcus Smart a lot - he's a high intangible guy who is going to continue to improve his floor game and his perimeter shot (his two biggest weaknesses). Sure, he had a misstep at Texas Tech when he went after the fan in the stands - but the bottom line is that Smart is tough, is probably already a better leader than Rondo - and he works. His floor game as a point guard improved dramatically over the last two years (he had never really played the point prior to college) and his perimeter shot - which is his primary weakness - will get better over time. I'm not sure Smart will ever be an elite point guard in the league, but I think he can be a Top 10'ish point guard who brings a lot of the intangibles to the table that Rondo does not.

James Young is a roll of the dice - he was worth the risk where the Celtics took him, though. He's long, has a ton of natural ability - but was extremely inconsistent with his effort and production as a freshman at Kentucky. He's a better shooter than the numbers (35 percent from 3) showed last season in Lexington, but the key for him will be work habits.

Like many others, Goodman seems to believe that Young's shot is better than it looked last year at Kentucky. That would be an extremely positive sign for the Celtics, who need the 19-year-old to develop into an efficient scorer.

In today's NBA, Goodman's assertion that Marcus Smart can be a top-10ish point guard is actually extremely high praise. Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, Tony Parker, John Wall, Goran Dragic, healthy Derrick Rose and Rondo (yes, Rondo) are all top-10 point guards and all game-changing talents. If Marcus Smart can indeed improve his perimeter jumper, it doesn't seem unreasonable to expect him to rise into that echelon eventually.

In Sports Illustrated's first power rankings since LeBron James reshuffled the entire Eastern Conference, Ben Golliver was fair but not particularly kind to the Celtics, ranking them 13th ahead of just Milwaukee and Philadelphia. Third-worst in the Eastern Conference might very well be third-worst overall, given the depth of the Western Conference.

Golliver, however, also thinks highly of Marcus Smart's future.

These Celtics primarily trade in youth. Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Zeller, James Young and Jared Sullinger give Boston a hefty complement of rotation pieces 23 or younger. Among them Smart, in particular, looks to be a star in the making.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, Golliver's projections are actually pretty close to a best-case scenario for Boston. If the Celtics can somehow keep Rondo in place while bringing along Marcus Smart and finish 13th in the East, securing another high draft pick, they'll be in a fantastic place going forward.